1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waste container holding system and, more specifically, to a system for holding an empty trash can, garbage can or waste receptacle, which is placed outdoors, from being blown away by strong winds. The system includes a grid or array of magnets, which are fixed to or in the ground or to or in an asphalt or concrete driveway together with a magnetizable, e.g., steel or iron, plate fixed at, to or in the bottom of each waste can or receptacle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, a variety of trash can or garbage can securing devices have been proposed. Examples of these analogous and non-analogous holding systems are disclosed in the following analogous and non-analogous U.S. patents:
PATENTPATENTEE2,838,264Hill3,201,075Sievers4,072,286Foncannon4,084,701White4,741,494Voornas4,995,529Sher5,213,294DeBord6,786,349Najd
The Najd patent teaches a magnet fixed in the bottom of a waste receptacle or garbage can and a flat plate portion anchored in the ground by at least one spike.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the prior art trash can holding systems referred to above lead away from the teachings of the present invention and the use of a magnet or magnetic grid or array fixed to or in the ground or to or in a driveway for holding a trash can or similar receptacle having a ferromagnetic, iron or magnetizable plate mounted at, to or in the bottom of the trash can or other receptacle and placed on the magnetic grid or array.
There has been proposed, non-analogous containers, such as for holding food, a beverage, or a variety of other things, that have a magnet or magnets mounted therein to permit attachment of the container to a steel, iron or other magnetizable surface. Such magnet attaching containers are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
PATENTPATENTEE4,484,682Crow5,186,350McBride5,367,278Yoshikawa
Also, a non-analogous method for temporarily holding a parts receiving, non-ferrous bin or box having a ferrous plate secured to the bottom thereof to a magnetic holding panel in the bottom of a parts tray is disclosed in abandoned U.S. published patent application number US 2002/0130231.
Further, non-analogous magnetic holders comprising magnets and ferromagnetic bars secured to a vertical surface for releasably holding magnetizable articles such as knives and chisels to the vertical surface are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,992 and in abandoned U.S. published application number US 2002/0175131.
However, heretofore, a waste container holding system including a magnetic grid fixed to or in a supporting surface such as, earth, asphalt or concrete, for holding a waste container having a ferromagnetic plate at or in the bottom thereof for preventing the waste container from being blown away by high winds, as described and claimed herein, has not been previously suggested or proposed.